


Growing Pains

by PhilArgus



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Twins, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gloria and Victor are twins, the lightest brushing of fluff maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23889157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhilArgus/pseuds/PhilArgus
Summary: Gloria knew that Hop was struggling. Hop had just barely come to terms with the fact that he lost the Championship title to his childhood rival turned girlfriend Gloria. But now that he was about to lose out on something bigger, they both weren’t surewhatto do anymore. Sometimes, you have to readjust your goals.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria, Hop/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 4
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

When Hop first called it quits in terms of the championship, Gloria was expecting him to bounce back. He always seemed to, anyway, but the truth was that Gloria didn’t really grasp the full extent to how much she actually worried about Hop. And when he called it quits on their relationship, that was a blow she couldn’t fathom.

As far as she could understand it, Hop always felt that she and Victor were constantly two steps ahead of him. Despite all of his best efforts to get ahead, Hop always seemed to be… falling behind, it seemed. It was always gutting not to win, of course, but it was even worse to be _so_ close to winning and to lose out by a mere hair. With Gloria and Victor, of course, it was different, too. He had known the twins practically his whole life. Hop followed in his older brother’s footsteps very closely by nurturing an intense but healthy rivalry with them, just as Leon, Raihan and Sonia all challenged each other throughout their childhoods until they achieved different goals. Of course, there was more than just those two — Bede and Hop also had a bit of an unspoken rivalry. Well, they _had_ spoken about it before, but if either of them wanted to stay on Gloria’s good side, they would at least try to keep it under wraps. More than anything, Gloria hated seeing people that she considered her friends at each other’s necks, and she had already given Bede a fair warning not to make Hop cry again or else he’d severely pay the price for it.

And then… during Hop’s travels with Victor and Gloria on their way through the gym challenge, one thing led to another, and Hop and Gloria found themselves catching feelings for each other. It was bound to happen, anyway. Victor knew that the two of them had gone back and forth over time, and thus he knew that at some point they were bound to reciprocate their feelings at the same time. Rather than strengthen their relationship, however, it had seemed to put a new painful strain on it. Even though Hop wanted more than anything to continue to support his best friends, it hurt worse that he could never beat her when it actually counted.

Needless to say, their first real couple’s fight was after the finals. Not _immediately_ after, of course. Hop was in denial for awhile afterward, and they had plenty to keep them busy, after all. Leon had just barely managed to get Eternatus to calm down enough for him, Gloria, and Victor to be able to take him down. But when it came time to capture him, he knew he wasn’t up for the task. With both Gloria and Victor on either sides of him, why should he even bother? How could he have ever expected to match up to the twins?

But once the Eternatus battle passed and Gloria took the championship, things seemed to die down for a spell — on the outside, anyway. Of course, while the dust was settling, Hop was falling deeper and deeper into a fit of despair and self-doubt, which began to manifest itself in bouts of irritation.

“I think we need to be brainstorming about where Zacian and Zamazenta went,” Hop said, as the two of them took seats across from each other on the train. They were initially supposed to be going with Victor to the Slumbering Weald, but unfortunately for Gloria, he had decided to grab a flying taxi and head off in front of them. “I mean, I remember when we first saw — or at least I _think_ we saw Zacian, but… Ah, I don’t know! My head is all mixed up because I’m still thinking about all the things I botched in the finals.”

“Oh… _This_ again?” Gloria murmured to herself, resting her head against the train window. She regretted it immediately, as the resulting headache from the vibration made her a little nauseated. Or maybe it was pre-emptive, because she knew that this was only the beginning of a larger argument.

Hop cleared his throat. “Wait. What was that?”

Gloria averted her gaze. It wasn’t the first time she blurted out what she was thinking without… well, thinking. And while there was only the slightest edge in his tone, she knew what was hiding beneath. She tried to see past her reflection onto the rapidly changing scenery outside, but she couldn’t help but focus on the fear in her own eyes.

“Look, I know it’s not important to you, but it’s important to _me_ ,” Hop continued, drumming his fingers on his knees. “And then maybe we can talk about the next Championship. I think I’d like us to get some battles in so I can rethink my strategy. Do you think Victor would be down?”

“I know, it’s not that it’s not important, but I thought we talked about this,” Gloria sighed, exasperated. “None of this _really_ matters. The championship, I mean. It isn’t the end-all, be all. And you’re getting ahead of yourself again. I think we should just focus on the legendary Pokemon for now, and see what we can do to help Leon and Sonia—”

“I know that it doesn’t _really_ ‘matter’ at the end of the day,” Hop countered, with air quotes, “ _To you._ But you _knew_ the Championship title was _all_ I wanted, and all that I’ve ever worked for! You were just looking for something to do. I remember how carefree you were in Postwick.”

Gloria felt her cheeks grow red. “Now, that’s not—” She stammered for a moment, but she knew he was right. Then she found her resolve. “It’s not… This isn’t really _about_ the Championship though. I just thought that maybe our relationship was more important than all of that, Hop.”

“Well…” Hop shoved his hands into his pockets and looked to the ground. Gloria’s heart dropped at his response, at how quickly he clammed up. “I mean I… guess you thought wrong. My future is just as important, if not more so.”

Gloria chewed anxiously on her lower lip, mulling it over, but there just wasn’t anything she felt she could say. What _could_ she say to that? Even if he didn’t actually mean it — which she was sure he didn’t — he couldn’t take it back now. And to her, it was worse that he even thought to say it at all. At this point, he was just looking for an out.

“You know… I lost every battle to you,” Hop began again, more to himself than to her.

“Oh, I don’t know about that—”

“Are you mad? Anytime it really _mattered_ , Gloria.” He wasn’t looking for her input. “When we were kids doesn’t really count. At least with Victor, I… I don’t know. It felt more _balanced_ , y’know? But when we got to the Championships, and he was able to edge out and beat me… I knew it was all over.”

Gloria shook her head as Hop lifted his head to stare into her with steely eyes. She didn’t know how to tell him he was wrong. Wrong not because he was remembering correctly, but wrong because even if she _had_ beaten him every time, what did it matter? Hop had plenty of other strengths that she didn’t. For her, she went entirely based on her gut, and sometimes that got her into trouble. It wasn’t all it was cracked out to be, flying by the seat of your skirt. But Hop threw everything into the ring and spent hours upon hours studying every angle to go at a battle, much like Leon used to. Further, he had that drive that she didn’t to study all of the Pokémon type matchups when poring over those charts used to put her to sleep. She remembered all the conversations they had on the train and how he always seemed to outpace her in little ways if simply for the fact that her passions just lied elsewhere. But could she say all this to him? Did it matter if it didn’t result in that precious win that he wanted?

Gloria suddenly felt entirely sick to her stomach. The glory of the championship title didn’t sound so glamorous anymore. In fact, she was starting to question whether she ever really wanted it in the first place.

And furthermore, Gloria understood why Hop was insecure, of _course_ she did. She wasn’t daft. But what she didn’t understand was why he was letting it get in the way of their relationship, let alone their friendship. She thought of how Leon and Raihan were. They didn’t let _their_ rivalry sully their friendship. In fact, it seemed to make things better for them! And why wouldn’t it? Their bonds with each other and their Pokémon were the important things, not some prestigious title. She knew it was a transitory state anyway. She wasn’t going to be the Champion forever — she didn’t even _want_ to be. And moreover, she thought Hop would know better than anyone that Leon was excited for her to finally dethrone him. He had been champion for a long time — and of course he was proud of it — but he desired for other trainers to rise up and become stronger as well. Likewise, Gloria wanted the same for others. It wasn’t just about _winning._

The two of them were able to put aside their squabbling to help Sonia locate and take care of all the rogue Dynamaxing Pokemon. For Gloria at least, it was a nice break from her relationship problems, and it was even better to feel like a team with Hop again, just like they always used to. And when Sonia, Leon, Hop, Victor, and Gloria reassembled in Hammerlocke to face down with corrupted Zamazenta, things seemed to be falling into place. It was a tough battle, but Gloria and her Pokemon managed to come out of it okay. Maybe things could turn around after all.

Gloria felt a glimmer of hope when Hop went to return the stolen rusted shield to Zamazenta, but it was one that was quickly extinguished when the legendary dog swiftly fled the scene.

“ _Wait!_ ” Gloria shouted, but she wasn’t sure why. Why in the world would she expect a legendary Pokémon to listen to her? Maybe she naively hoped that Hop could forge a friendship with the creature as thanks for returning its artifact and assisting in its rescue from corruption. 

She didn’t have time to think more on it, however, as Zacian was still standing there, and directly at _her_ , no less. She turned to look back to her twin brother who only shrugged nonchalantly. He was never one to overstep boundaries.

Sonia healed Gloria’s Pokemon, and in a moment, she was all ready to go again. It was an uphill battle, but Gloria welcomed all of the time to have her mind somewhere else. And finally, when stubborn Zacian at last relented, the group stood in a thoughtful reverie. Gloria stared at the ball for a moment before holding it tightly to her chest. If she were feeling anything, she wasn’t sure of it at the moment. She was in a bit of a daze, wondering if the entire ordeal had been a dream.

After a beat, Sonia approached Gloria and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Here, let me heal your Pokemon.”

Gloria nodded, knowing that her team was almost entirely wiped out by the ordeal.

“We’ve gotta go after Zamazenta,” Hop said.

“Hop, wait—”

“I bet it went to Slumbering Weald! I’m gonna chase him down!” Hop shouted.

“Hop, wait, don’t you want help?” Gloria asked, turning to face him. “I don’t want you going alone—”

He didn’t respond, however. In fact, he didn’t hear her at all, as he was already bounding off down the steps to catch the closest flying taxi he could to the Slumbering Weald.

Gloria sighed and looked to everyone else for support. Even when she was running on empty, she could always count on Hop getting a final burst of energy. It wasn’t that she didn’t have faith in him — on the contrary. She more worried about his own sense of self that seemed to be cracking more and more with each defeat laid before him. She just didn’t know how much more she could take — how much more _he_ could take. And with his own self-defeating attitude, what could she do to help him, even just as a friend and rival, let alone as a supportive partner?

Victor tapped his foot impatiently. “Well, what are we waiting for, Glor? We should go after him.”

“You think so, too?”

“I’m hoping for the best, but we should be prepared for something to go wrong. Slumbering Weald is its own monster.”

Gloria looked to the rest of the group for confirmation and nodded solemnly. “Right.”

* * *

After landing in Postwick, Gloria couldn’t help but take off running from the rest of the group, despite their protests otherwise. Sonia and Leon agreed to hang back close enough for support in case anything happened, but far enough so as not to be overbearing. The two of them knew figured that the trio knew how to handle themselves well enough without them, anyway.

“Ah, damnit, Gloria,” Victor muttered under his breath as he scurried after his twin, even as she disappeared into the swirling fog.

Hop hadn’t been alone for very long before he whirled around at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. A sharp sigh of relief escaped him as he recognized Victor and Gloria’s forms coming toward him out of the fog. Slumbering Weald was already spooky enough without strange specters appearing out of nowhere.

“Gosh, you guys gave me quite a fright!” he chuckled. It sounded incredibly lighthearted, which made Gloria’s heart flutter. “I’m happy to see you guys. I mean, I think I’ve got a handle on things here, but I’m glad you came anyway, if only so that you guys can witness all of this.”

“Of course — we came!” Victor shouted. He stopped short to catch his breath. 

Hop couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the two of them, with Victor leaning forward on his knees and taking loud, awkward gasps, and Gloria propping herself up against a tree to do the same. 

After a moment, Gloria panted, “We were really… worried about you, Hop. You can’t just… run off like that.”

Hop grinned. Victor and Gloria both looked a little surprised, but they couldn’t help but grin back. Hop’s smile was undeniably infectious, after all. Gloria hoped that he had managed to get his confidence back after all.

Zamazenta looked coldly at the three of them. Victor and Gloria exchanged knowing glances, and then took a step back so that Hop could have some space. Hop whispered a few words of encouragement to himself as preparation for the battle. He inhaled slowly, calmly, and on exhaling, he summoned his beloved Dubwool out of his ball.

The entire battle stressed Gloria out beyond belief. Once again, she knew that it wasn’t even because she didn’t believe in him — she more worried about how much he believed in _himself_. And more than anything, she knew that if he took another loss, she was going to be picking up the pieces. She refused to entertain the idea for more than a second. She had to shake it off and watch, cheering him on as he went.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Zamazenta wiped out his entire team in the blink of an eye. Gloria barely had time to register it before Hop retreated to revive his team in a panic.

Zamazenta continued looking at them, unblinking and unimpressed. 

“I… don’t understand…” Hop murmured, eyes glazing over. “Zamazenta… it took out all of my Pokémon, no problem. I don’t…”

Victor and Gloria waited a beat before they walked carefully up to him, taking a place at either side of him.

“It’s just testing you, Hop,” Gloria said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Don’t give up.”

To her surprise and dismay, he shook her off and swiveled around to look her right in the eyes, bitter tears beginning to sting his cheeks. “One hit KO’ing all my Pokémon is a test?! Leading me all the way out here just to embarrass me in front of my rivals and heroes is a test?!? It’s not as easy for me as it is for _you!_ ”

Gloria folded her arms, steeling her resolve. “C’mon, Hop. Let me heal your Pokémon. You can try again. Just rethink your strategy. Right, Victor?”

“Yeah, dude, c’mon. You can do this. We’re here to support you, no matter what happens.”

Hop stepped back and glared daggers at the both of them, but a moment later, his eyes softened and welled up with more tears. He had barely worked up enough confidence to get himself here, so he had completely exhausted all of his reserves from the battle and then some from the resulting humiliation and embarrassment he felt.

“I just… I don’t… I don’t think I can do it, Gloria,” Hop murmured.

Gloria and Victor exchanged glances.

“Right. Well, now you’re just being defeatist,” Gloria said. She sighed.

“Kinda works that way when you’re always being defeated, huh?” he shot back.

Gloria could feel herself getting defensive, and she fought to cool her anger. “If you don’t think you can do it, then of _course_ it’s not going to happen. You have to at least give yourself a chance. You can’t win a race you drop out of. None of us would be here if we just gave up like that.”

“That’s the problem,” Hop cut in. “I don’t _stand_ a chance next to you two. If I even get the chance to try, it’s over before it begins.”

“That’s just what you think, Hop! You’re amazing! You’ve been with us this whole time. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”

Hop had just barely come to terms with the fact that he lost the Championship title to his childhood rival turned girlfriend Gloria. But now that he was about to lose out on something even bigger, something else that could alter the course of history, he wasn’t sure _what_ to do anymore. How could he expect anyone to take him seriously if he couldn’t even manage to get Zamazenta under control, after every possible hit, after exhausting every possible strategy?

Hop stepped back, breathing heavily. Gloria and Victor both reached out to support him, but he had already turned away and taken off into the fog behind them.

“Hop, you _can’t!_ ” Gloria cried, but it was of no use. Even if he had still be in earshot, he wasn’t coming back.

The four of them eyed Zamazenta nervously, who only stared soundlessly back at them with steely eyes. Sonia peered back over her shoulder anxiously.

Victor retrieved a ball from his backpack, albeit reluctantly. “I… think I’ll give this a shot.”

Leon beamed at Victor and Gloria. “You two are something else, you know that? And people made fun of me for endorsing you guys!”

Sonia quirked her eyebrow at Leon as she dragged him back a bit to give them space. As much as she wanted to watch the ensuing battle, she didn’t want to risk getting hurt — and much more importantly, she had other pressing things on her mind. “You knew what you were doing the whole time, didn’t you, Lee?”

He looked back at her and smiled warmly, but there was detectable pain in his eyes that Sonia couldn’t help but feel gutted seeing. He turned back to watch Victor, who seemed to be having no issue with wearing Zamazenta down, even though the Pokemon was doing his best to test him by escaping effortlessly from ball after ball.

“Aren’t you worried?” Sonia pressed.

“Vic and Gloria have got this,” Leon replied, not getting it. “I’m not worried about the two of them in the least.”

“About Gloria and _Hop_?” she said. “He’s… He’s just going to get hurt.”

Leon opened his mouth to respond, but he thought better of it. It didn’t do him any good to respond thoughtlessly, especially if he was just going to generate more misunderstandings. After a moment of careful consideration, he nodded thoughtfully, the pieces fitting together. “Of course I’m worried. And I don’t _want_ to see him get hurt. But Sonia, this’ll be good for him.”

Sonia sighed. She knew he was right. The two of them had been down this road a long time ago — or, at least, it _felt_ like it had been a long time ago. And after everything, it suddenly dawned on her that she might be the only one who could really help Hop understand.

Finally, Sonia said, “Well… I’m gonna meet back up with you guys later. I think I’d better go after Hop. Fill me in on everything later.”

Leon looked back to her for a confirmation nod and smiled once again. Without a word, Sonia nodded and took off after her rival’s little brother. She had plans for Hop, of course. She had been waiting for this day; she just didn’t expect it to come so soon.

* * *

Victor and Gloria were on their way back to Postwick to spend some time with their mother and delineate all of their adventures to her. Their combined energy quickly wore her down, of course, as did their new legendary friends they were working on befriending. 

The twins had set up camp in Slumbering Weald when Gloria saw Hop walking toward them out of the mist. She almost didn’t recognize him, as his normally bouncy gait was replaced with a more calculated, slower pace. 

He smiled wanly at them as he approached, his hands tucked deeply into his pockets.

“Hey, bro,” Victor said, with a nod. “I was actually about to challenge my sister to another battle. Why don’t you join in, for old time’s sake?”

Gloria scoffed and shoved Victor, perhaps a little harder than intended.

Hop removed one of his hands from its place in his pocket, his fingers dancing over the surface of a Pokeball on his belt. Then his eyes widened comically, as if he realized he were acting merely out of habit and not out of want, and he shook his head. “Nah. Thanks for the offer though. Actually… I’ve got some other plans.”

“Oh, sweet, mate. You should fill us all in,” Victor said. He turned to start packing up camp, and Gloria sighed. Did he not know that she and Hop had not spoken since he ran off?

“A-actually, I’ll get to that later,” Hop said sheepishly. He looked to Gloria. “Glor… Can we… talk?” The question almost came out as a squeak, and its very tone and weight made Victor dramatically slow his pace in packing.

“Yeah, Hopper, what about?” Gloria said brightly. 

Hop had already turned on his heel to give them some privacy, and Gloria mindlessly followed. Victor hadn’t gotten the hint either — neither of them wanted to assume the worst. In fact, they didn’t even register the change in his tone, the way his voice warbled slightly like it was catching in his throat. As a result, it took Gloria a couple seconds to even realize she was now walking quickly ahead of Hop. Victor, who was also keeping to his steady pace, screeched to a halt and turned on his heel to look at the two of them with confusion.

“Ah… You go on ahead, Victor,” Hop sighed. “I-I mean… Please.” He tilted his head to cast a sidelong glance at Gloria. “I think I really need to just talk to your sister.”

Victor shot Gloria a concerned look, and she returned it with a pleading one of her own. He nodded solemnly. “I’ll catch you guys later?”

Hop gestured vaguely and watched Victor as he jogged back to his camp. He seemed to disappear quickly into the fog. Once he was gone and out of earshot, everything went eerily quiet.

“Okay, well, what is it?” Gloria sighed. “What is it that’s eating at you?” It’s not like she didn’t have an idea. She just wanted to hear it from him.

Hop averted his eyes, tried to conceal the tears brimming in them. “I just feel like out of everything, this was my last real chance to prove myself as a worthy Pokémon trainer. Now… Oh, I don’t know. I just can’t do it anymore.”

Gloria tried to swallow the pit in her throat to no avail. The crack in his voice was too much for her to bear. “What are you trying to say, Hop?”

Hop chewed furiously on his lower lip in a vain attempt at keeping the tears away, at least for another moment, while Gloria was still here in front of him.

“I mean any of this. I just need to think. I just need to be alone.”

“But Hop, you’re better than you think you are! You’ve done more than you think you have! We wouldn’t have been able to defeat Eternatus without you,” Gloria said. “It was you who had the idea to use the rusted sword and shield! You were the one who awakened Zacian and Zamazenta and got them to help us! And—! And if it weren’t for you, I don’t think I would have even been able to capture Zacian. You were the one who had it in your head to restore the rusted shield.”

Hop listened to her speech carefully, but he internalized nothing. “Yeah? And what good did it do? It was clearly not meant for me anyway. I didn’t get to catch either of them. I wasn’t good enough for either of them. I wasn’t good enough for the Championship.”

“But you’re good enough for me.”

Gloria winced as Hop laughed bitterly. “And what’s it to you? Now that you’re Champion, you’ll be too busy for me anyway. Not like you even wanted to do it anyway. You just wanted to see if you _could_.”

At this, anger suddenly flared up inside her, and she couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “And I _did._ You _didn’t_ , Hop! You’re just going to have to get over it!”

Gloria backed up as Hop took a step toward her, but he only trembled in righteous fury. This only riled her up more. In spite of herself, she continued, “You’re not the only one who had to give up a dream, you know! What about Sonia?! For God’s sake, what about Bede?” Hop chewed furiously on his lower lip. “Look at you! You’ve just barely gotten started and you’re ready to throw in the towel and squander all your talent just because of your stupid pride! Because you worship your brother like he’s a goddamn God! He’s not, Hop! He’s just a person!! And he wasn’t perfect! I _beat_ him, Hop! On my first try!!”

Hop opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Gloria didn’t want to hear it anyway. She was already taking off down the trail, frustrated tears pouring down her cheeks. She had envisioned this moment dozens of times in the coming weeks, knowing that something had to give, but at the end of it all, she didn’t expect it to be her who stormed off. She had been picking up the pieces for too long. Who was going to pick up hers?

* * *

For some reason or another, Gloria found herself in Ballonlea. Out of every place she had breezed through on the gym challenge, she figured this place her favorite. Of course, there was probably something she really liked about every place she had been to in Galar, — especially since practically _everything_ seemed more special than Postwick — but to her, there was just a certain special something about Ballonlea that she couldn’t find anywhere else.

With Hop and her relationship starting to come apart, she knew she needed to talk to _someone_. And while she felt a great deal of respect for Sonia and her seemingly endless fountain of knowledge, with Hop starting to undertake work as her apprentice, she just didn’t feel comfortable going to her asking for advice. She figured Hop had better use her for support — best not to complicate things for them even further. The two of them were starting to build a really important relationship, and she didn’t want to make things more complicated for them. On the other hand, Piers was another good idea of support, but he wouldn’t know what to do with relationship issues. Finally, she really hoped she could talk to Marnie at some point, but she didn’t think they were quite close enough yet to talk about this sort of thing. 

And finally, on the other _other_ hand, Leon… While Leon could probably give her some good insight, she knew he wouldn’t appreciate her having hurt Hop in any conceivable way. At least, that’s how she saw it. Whether or not that was the truth, she wasn’t feeling up to finding out. He may have been an inspiration and a mentor to her, but she felt intimidated at the prospect of seeking him out for this reason.

Besides, a walk through Glimwood Tangle could easily serve to clear her mind. For her, there was something oddly calming about the entire atmosphere. She giggled fondly to herself as she remembered her first time in the maze-like forest, her brother and Hop clumsily running ahead and disappearing down separate paths. Gloria knew enough about fairy Pokémon lore to know that it was a bad idea to wander off without a single clue of where you were going. Luckily for the both of them, they managed to get themselves so lost they somehow doubled back and found each other. All that time, Gloria had spent invaluable quality time with her Pokémon, both old and new.

As she now lit her way with the luminescent mushrooms, she gasped in awe at how brightly they glowed. She could feel the life stirring in the perpetually dark forest, despite how quiet and still it seemed on the surface. As long as she put her trust in the Pokémon, she knew she would be guaranteed their protection.

* * *

The tranquility of Ballonlea set her heart aflutter. She wondered why more people didn’t see it as more than a novelty, but maybe it was for the best. Gloria checked her phone for the time, since the entire area seemed a liminal space — the thickness of the dark trees notwithstanding. To her relief, it wasn’t too late, although it almost seemed irrelevant to her now. With it being the offseason, she couldn’t imagine any gym leaders being _too_ busy. (That was, of course, her underestimating them.)

Gloria whistled pleasantly to herself as she rapped on Opal’s door. She turned to take in her surroundings more fully, and could just barely begin to feel her heart starting to drop. Maybe she was doing something stupid. But either way, did it matter now? All that mattered was that she was alone now and desperately needed someone to bounce ideas off of. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to wait long.

When the door finally opened, Gloria whirled around just in time to see Opal’s eyes light up with a delighted surprise. “Ah, well if it isn’t the champion, Gloria! What a nice surprise!”

“Hellooo, Miss Opal,” Gloria responded in a sing-song voice. “Good to see you! Is Bede home? Or is he busy being… y’know.” She gestured vaguely.

“Ah, of course. One moment, dear.”

The eccentric old woman disappeared behind the door into her abode and did not re-emerge. Gloria tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and waited patiently. Instead, taking her place was her young protégé, who peered carefully through the cracked doorway with a guarded interest.

“Bede!” Gloria shouted, throwing her arms open for a hug that definitely was not coming.

“Hmm? You… asked for me?” 

For a brief moment, Gloria could see that she had absolutely piqued his curiosity. But then he must have realized she had seen something, because he quickly furrowed his brow at her and scoffed, glaring at her through half-lidded eyes as she finally lowered her open arms. “Well, what is it? I don’t have all day, you know.”

“Oh, yeah? What are you doing right now?” Gloria asked.

He looked taken aback by her forwardness, although that was a trait of hers he should have been all too familiar with by now. He stammered, “W-well, uh, you know— I’m doing my training with Opal, and — wait a minute, just why am I wasting time telling you this?! What is it, Gloria?!”

She shuffled awkwardly. “I mean… I was mostly just hoping I could come in and talk.”

“Ah… About what? Do we have to do it here?” 

“I mean, no. We could do it anywhere. I just… need your advice. Or someone’s, I guess, but mostly yours.”

Bede tilted his head. “Wha— _me_?” He scoffed. “What could the champion of Galar _possibly_ want with me?”

Gloria rolled her eyes at the vitriol she detected in his voice. There was always a little bit of it there, but this time it stung a little more, since it was poking at a fresh wound.

“Don’t you have those other power spots to attend to…?”

“Oh, come off it! You and I both know we’ve all got a handle on that already. It’s all done. Taken care of. Done-zo.”

Bede huffed and rolled his eyes. He was out of excuses, and he knew none of them would work anyway. 

“In _faaact_ , did you wanna see my new friend? She’s a Fairy type!! Er, actually, I guess she’s genderless since she’s a legendary, but— uh—”

Bede held a finger up to silence her. “Are we perhaps approaching the point?” She stuttered for a moment, and he had half a mind to just shut the door on her. Still, there was something in her pleading eyes that stirred something in him. Even if he wasn’t her first choice, she still sought him out to talk to, and that had to mean something, didn’t it? 

“Well… Alright. Since you had gone to the trouble in getting here—”

“Oh! It’s no trouble at all, Bede!”

He nodded solemnly and took a step back. “Give me a minute or two. Let’s take a walk so we can go somewhere a little more… private.” He gestured back inside the house, and Gloria could see numerous shadows moving about in the kitchen, as though his Pokémon (and perhaps even Opal) were scurrying quickly out of view.

She giggled and let Bede close the door. Left to her own devices for the moment, she once more took in the whimsy of Ballonlea and reflected on the events of the past few days. Ballonlea was one of those places where time seemed to stand still, or at the very least, move a great deal slower than it did in Wyndon, Motostoke, and Hammerlocke. It made her nostalgic for Postwick, although she knew she definitely didn’t want to move back there anytime soon. Ballonlea was different, anyway. There were so many people who were intimidated by it, or those who were maybe a little too superstitituous and didn’t feel up to braving Glimwood Tangle. But to Gloria, Glimwood Tangle felt comfortable. It was something she felt proud of to have conquered.

Bede emerged a moment later in a thin jacket, with another on his sleeve. Gloria tilted her head at him curiously.

“I thought you might be cold. You don’t seem… dressed appropriately.”

Before she could respond, Gloria was startled at the sensation of something soft and furry brushing against her bare legs.

“O-oh— hello!” Gloria said, reaching down to pet his Eevee, who lovingly nuzzled into her palm. 

Bede looked embarrassed. He tugged at his collar. “Right, well, Opal gave me an Eevee to train, and we’ve just barely been able to get on, so I figure this is a good a time as any to… well, anyway.”

* * *

“You want to talk about… _Hop_?” Bede hissed. His voice came out more irritable than he intended, although to be fair, it kind of always did. He sighed. He should have known this was coming.

“I mean, I _know_ you guys haven’t been on the best terms since… well, y’know.” Gloria chuckled nervously. “We don’t have to talk about that.”

“Hmm?” Bede feigned innocence.

Adventuring into Glimwood Tangle with her longtime rival and friend (even if _he_ didn’t think of them as friends) was more than enough to brighten Gloria’s spirits. She felt lighter already as they walked briskly out of Ballonlea and the dark forest closed in around them. Most people she knew would be spooked about spending any more time in there than they had to, but she was always leaping at the chance to see it whenever she could.

“I know of a pretty good spot over here,” Bede said, veering off the well-beaten path and into a secluded clearing. He opened his mouth to say more, but he bit his tongue. If Gloria had been paying better attention, she might have noticed how uncomfortably silent he became, as though he were battling internally with himself over whether or not to tell her anything revealing.

“I bet you spend a _lot_ of time here. I’d be in here like… all the time,” Gloria said, spreading her arms out wide and almost decking him in the face.

Bede grumbled. “Well, yes. I live here.”

His Eevee suddenly charged ahead, her tail twitching excitedly. She spun around and chirped at her owner impatiently.

Gloria gasped and clutched her chest. “M-my heart…”

Bede regretted immediately his choice of a lighter coat as he tugged in vain at a jacket collar that wasn’t there in an attempt to hide the color rushing into his cheeks. “S-stop…” he quietly urged his Pokemon. She continued chittering at him as he quickened his pace to meet her.

Gloria slapped her cheeks. “OHMYGOD I LOVE HER… Why is she so excited?!”

“She just — she just likes this walk, th-that’s all. And, um… Uh-”

Eevee hopped up onto a rock and pawed at a glowing mushroom. 

“She… likes the company,” Bede said quietly.

Gloria scanned her surroundings. It definitely seemed well-loved; Bede had certainly set up camp here numerous times, and his Eevee had a clear, confident sense of the lay of the land. The thought of it made her smile. It was always a comforting thought to think of someone in such a vulnerable position with their Pokemon; it built trust that not a lot of people always wanted to (or could) dedicate time to.

Eevee stretched and curled up at Bede’s feet as he took a seat. Without prompting, Gloria dropped to her feet and started drawing circles in the dirt.

“Urgh… So anyway, you wanted to talk about… Uh, someone, I guess—” Bede said, erring on the side of willful ignorance.

“I’m so sure you forgot Hop,” Gloria said, with an eyeroll — albeit a playful one. “When you wiped the floor with him and made him feel bad about not living up to his brother, dummy! You really messed with him, Bede.”

Bede’s expression darkened. “It wasn’t just that. That’s not what the issue is.”

“What do you mean?”

Bede looked away. “It’s nothing. It’s not any of your business, anyway. That’s not what you came here to talk about.”

“Well, no, I can’t talk to you about Hop if you’re just gonna be… _biased_. I came to you because I thought you would provide a good outsider perspective. And I mean… I feel like you’re the best one to give it, because you won’t beat around the bush if I’m being stupid. I should say you’re the perfect person for that kind of thing!”

Bede furrowed his brows at her. She was definitely misunderstanding, but he couldn’t tell her anymore without revealing too much. In fact, if he _did_ tell her everything, then she would know that he wasn’t actually an unbiased perspective at all. His Eevee tilted her head at him, watching his expression and mood carefully. She flattened her ears a bit.

Gloria absentmindedly continued her doodle spirals in the dirt as she mulled it over. They were starting to get a little more complicated. “Okay… well. _Anyway._ Since I’m here. I might as well explain.”

* * *

Gloria recounted the events of the past few days in excruciating detail while Bede listened attentively. She tried as best as she possibly could to stay unbiased, but she knew that it was an impossible task because no matter what, she was always going to have feelings. Still, she found herself coming up with plenty of excuses for Hop, and not wanting to paint him in a bad light. She hated speaking badly of him in any capacity. Besides, she figured Bede could fill in those gaps on his own, given their complicated history, and she didn’t need to add more fuel to the fire of rivalry if it wasn’t necessary to do so. She wasn’t here to trash talk Hop, especially not to someone who would be more than glad to join in. The amount of backtracking she had to do around some of the more blunt things she said made the conversation drag on for quite a while. She felt exhausted by the end of it, when she finally caught her breath and let Bede chew on it for a while.

He reached down to scratch behind the Eevee’s ears as she settled comfortably into his lap with a contented sigh. He seemed to be thinking of what to say, but Gloria couldn’t help herself and flailed excitedly.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re bonding!” she squealed. “Your Eevee and my Eevee should totally play together sometime. Gosh, if I had known, I totally would have brought him along! O-oh, well, next time.”

Bede averted his gaze. “Oh… You have an Eevee as well…” Even the offhanded mention of them having a reason to hang out again caused a blush to spread across his countenance. “Right. Well… I hope this talk has… helped some.”

“Yeah! It’s so nice to actually talk to you in a more … I dunno, you know? Like, when we battle I always want to have that friendly banter—”

“ _Friendly_ ,” he repeated under his breath.

She definitely heard him, but she kept going. “And it’s just nice to kinda just talk about something else. _Anything_ else. It’s just been so hectic, and I’ve been going out of my mind. So… it’s nice.”

She beamed pleasantly at him, and then held her hand out to his Eevee, who seemed happy to oblige her in some head scratches.

“Well… I’m glad. That makes me happy.”

Gloria drew her legs to her chest and exhaled. “So, what do you think, though? Am I being unreasonable? I mean, I know I just unloaded on you for an hour, but…”

At last one the spot, Bede cleared his throat. It was hard for him to have to pick his words so carefully while the Champion could just blurt out whatever thoughts occurred to her, whatever fancy she wanted to entertain.

“It’s clear to me that you care a lot about him. Otherwise you wouldn’t be doing all these… mental gymnastics trying to defend him.” 

Bede bit his tongue, worrying that his incomplete thought might have come out wrong, but Gloria smiled pleasantly at him. 

“Of course I’m going to defend him!” she said. “I don’t know how to do anything but that.”

The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest around them. Bede’s Eevee hopped to the ground and began pacing between the two of them.

Bede cleared his throat again. “This will probably sound _bold_ … But if he doesn’t wise up soon, I think perhaps it’ll be a good thing for you to have some time apart.”

“That’s kind of what I was thinking, and… you’re probably right,” Gloria sighed. “As much as I hate it. I used to think that all of that made us stronger as friends and as a couple, but now I’m thinking that he needs to hang around some other people for a little while. And… I think I do too.”

She lifted her head and smiled brightly at Bede, who in turn quickly looked away.

“I mean, doubtless I’ve seen a lot of places in doing the challenge, but… even then, it’s only a smaller part of the whole picture. It’s only Galar.” 

“Sure, and I mean, how long are you really going to hold on to that championship title, eh?” Bede teased, his mouth curling into a wry smile.

Gloria shoved his shoulder playfully. “Ah, come off it, why don’t ya! I already know Victor is out for blood. He and I are going to be neck and neck year in and year out, probably fighting for the spot. I know he’s all pumped about next season already.”

Bede chuckled dryly and shook his head. “I imagine that’s a source of anxiety for you.”

“Nah, not really,” Gloria said. She rose to her feet and started stretching a bit to regain some feeling in her legs. “To be honest with you, I could use the time off. Like I was telling you, seeing a lot of places during the challenge was fun, but ahh… it’s exhausting. I definitely don’t want to do what Leon did. I know he doesn’t want me to hate the job as much as he started to.”

“Ah, that’s right,” Bede said quietly, with just a hint of bitterness. He know that _he_ wouldn’t have minded it. He didn’t have the same attachments to any one place like Gloria did. In fact, he didn’t have a lot of attachments to anything at _all_ before Opal took him in. “I’m sure Hop didn’t like being away from you very much.”

“How astute of you. Yeah,” she said. “It was already putting a strain on Hop and my relationship not being home most of the time. That was _without_ his inferiority complex.”

This comment elicited another shy chuckle from Bede again, and Gloria winced. Maybe that was going too far.

“I’m sorry. Maybe you don’t even wanna hear any of this.”

The tiniest ghost of a smile appeared on Bede’s face before disappearing again. “No. It’s fine. But if you _really_ want to know what I think…”

Gloria’s eyes lit up as she straightened herself. “I’m on the edge of my seat!”

Bede sighed. Whether or not it was going to be taken well, he was going to say what he was going to say. She _did_ come all the way out here, after all, for better or worse. “I think you and Victor beating out Hop was for his own good.”

“Uh—”

Bede held up a finger to silence her. “Just give me a moment. Listen… I don’t think Hop becoming Champion would’ve been… good for him. I know it wouldn’t have been good for me. His idolization of his brother was _unhealthy_. I can’t have been the only person to notice.”

Gloria stammered wordlessly, but she came up short on any retorts. “I mean — sure, but…”

“Let me ask you this: What good would it have done if he had managed to best one of you in the semi-finals?”

“There’s just so many times where I just wish he would’ve… I don’t know,” Gloria sighed. “I had so many ideas of maybe one of us throwing a fight for him or something, like in the semi-finals.”

“But you have so much more respect for him than that.”

“Huh? Oh… I mean… I guess so, huh? I mean, I don’t like being deceitful in the first place. But I think you’re right.” Gloria sighed. “When one door closes, another door opens, I guess. 

Bede gave her a knowing smile. “Sometimes you just need to adjust your goals and play to your own strengths.”

Gloria anxiously traced a circle in the ground with her foot. “I just didn’t want him to _be_ Leon. It really just seemed like he wanted to be Leon. I just wanted him to be… Well, Hop. Even when he was talking about doing the work with Sonia, it still seemed like he was just trying to measure up to him, even though it was something that _he_ chose.

“And maybe Leon just tries too hard to not mess up for him. I think if maybe they had some sort of… I mean—” She bit her tongue so hard she thought she tasted blood. Maybe it was just the stress. “God, you know? If maybe he had screwed up every once and a while for him!”

Bede ran a hand through his hair. “You think it would have mattered? Do you think Hop would have even perceived it as a wrong? Or would he have made excuses?”

Gloria didn’t have much time to respond, because Bede at last thought to look at his watch, which was its own cause for him to spring to his feet. “Ah, I haven’t been watching the time—”

“Oh, that thing works? I thought you just used that to be passive aggressive!”

He opted to ignore her. “I’ll be running late for my next training session if I don’t get going. I assume you have other engagements yourself.”

Gloria followed suit, albeit with a sense of fake urgency. “Yeah, I’m sure there’s something. Some coaching or… some emergency of some kind—”

“I’m talking about Hop.”

Gloria felt her cheeks grow red, her heart suddenly pounding loudly in her ears. “Oh… Oh yeah. Uh, I doubt he wants to hear from me so soon, though—”

“He’s probably worried about you. I’m certain he’s furious at you, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not worried.”

The two walked back to Ballonlea in thoughtful silence. Bede had offered to walk her to the closest flying taxi in Stow-on-Side, but she turned it down — she couldn’t give up her solitary walks through Glimwood Tangle that she enjoyed so much. Halfway through their trek, Eevee grew tired and Bede allowed her to climb into his arms, to which Gloria had to express a delightful scream. Gloria felt somewhat of a burden lifted off her shoulders, having been able to process what had happened a little more fully. She just couldn’t handle shouldering it all on her own, not when there was already so much else she had to deal with. Still, she knew she wasn’t looking forward to facing Hop again. She knew that while they both had issues to work through, apologies to him were definitely in order.

As they approached his door, Gloria suddenly felt uncharacteristically self-conscious — repentant, even. It was as if she felt the weight of all of Bede’s snide comments to her throughout their acquaintanceship hit her at once, and she felt ashamed at taking up so much of his time for all of her whining about… well, about her _boy_ problems. 

“I hope you have a pleasant evening,” Bede said, letting his Eevee jump to the ground and follow him inside.

“Look, I just wanted to say thanks before I rush off again,” Gloria said. “For… for listening, and talking some sense into me. I don’t know when I’ll have time to stop by again, but I’d like to— I mean, I know you’re busy too, but I don’t mind dropping by—”

In that moment, Gloria wished she knew how to read people’s social cues a little better, but she did take his raised eyebrow as a sign to truncate her rambling speech, which was for the best. One can’t cut a speech short if there’s no substance to begin with. She waved sheepishly, expecting the door to be slammed in her face at any moment.

“Well, goodnight, Bede—”

Bede hung onto the threshold for a moment longer. “Gloria… Listen.”

She scratched her head with her free hand, because the other was still preemptively waving.

He sighed. He looked at her with eyes dark and unreadable. “You deserve someone who can see you for who you are. I don’t believe that Hop is in his right mind right now to do so, when he hasn’t even taken the steps to find himself yet. I just want you to think about that.”

“Bede…” She softly breathed out his name, but the door was finally closed. 

She turned back to the forest with a small, uncertain smile. For some reason or another, she found herself taking a different path back to Stow-on-Side, one she hadn’t thought to take before. Even if she felt a little lost on the numerous weaving paths, she knew she would find her way out on the other side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recently stripped of her Championship title by her twin brother, Gloria is filled with wanderlust and ready for her next adventure, wherever that may be. She made a lot of friends along the way, but out of everyone she was planning to say goodbye to, there was one person who she wasn’t expecting to be troubled by her departure.

A couple years had gone by. Gloria and Hop were able to reconcile, but they both agreed that they should at the very least take a break from their relationship to work on themselves. They were both still young yet, and with their separate duties keeping both of them busy, it just felt more natural to drift apart. Of course they were going to stay friends… but Gloria knew it would never actually be the same. And for better or worse, she knew their romantic relationship had run its course. While she was understandably sad about it, being the Champion meant she didn’t really have a lot of time to let herself _be_ sad.

Likewise, Hop threw himself into his work. He was always determined to prove himself, but without the pressure of having to fill his older brother’s shoes — self-imposed or not — he flourished. Of course, that also meant he developed workaholic tendencies and often spent nights poring over his research. He was always steps away from the next big thing, and it made it difficult for him to put his work down for any reasonable amount of time.

On the other hand, Gloria maintained her Championship title for a handful of years. To her, it was mostly a blur of training, coaching, and caffeine-powered nights of studying to hone her craft. Something they didn’t tell you about being Champion was that it was _exhausting._ Victor had come close to beating her a couple of times, but she always managed to edge out a victory at the last moment. She knew he was never going to give up, and she was perfectly alright with that. Ultimately, she knew it was only a matter of time before he inevitably overcame her, and she wasn’t going to let him take it from her very easily. Where would the fun be in that? Victor was plenty busy himself, and the Galar region couldn’t seem to get enough of the twins’ antics.

All that to say that Gloria and Hop were often too busy to catch up with one another as much as she would have wanted to. Whenever Gloria could swing by Wedgehurst, she made a point to go see him; oftentimes, however, their schedules simply didn’t line up. Gloria ended up having more time to hang out with Marnie, other gym leaders, and even Leon at the Battle Tower more than anyone else.

Thus, the week after Victor had at long last swiped the title away from her, Gloria felt a huge sense of relief wash over her. She humored the jokes that the two would pass the title between them in an endless game of tug-of-war, as much as they drained her. And as the days zipped by, she felt an insufferable itch to do _something_. After all, ever since Hop started working under Sonia, he pretty much had Dynamax research under control. They didn’t even really require her services as much, not after all the work the duo had accomplished.

It didn’t take Gloria too long before she called up Bede again to come with her on another leisurely stroll through Glimwood Tangle. She had made time to pop by and visit whenever she could, so it hadn’t been an outrageously long time, but Gloria couldn’t help but look forward to spending time in the dense forest away from most other people. There were no meetings, no banquets, no interviews to prepare for and sit through, even as much as they sometimes energized her — just her and her old rival versus the dark woods.

The inability for the sun to pierce the dense forestry unsettled many who passed through. The lore certainly ran deep, and for good reason. For Gloria, however, the impenetrable darkness always felt like a protective blanket, one she could hide under when she was feeling vulnerable. She always liked having a place she could retreat to whenever the burden of being a public figure wore heavy on her shoulders. 

And for himself, Bede couldn’t actually remember the last time he felt safe. He didn’t know that was a state of mind he could actually, feasibly achieve _._ But here he was, feeling his self-preservation melting away layer by layer as he and Gloria, former Champion of Galar, meandered through Glimwood Tangle. 

To him, it was even funny. A few years ago, the very idea of spending an extended amount of time with her would have given him an instant headache. But after a few years of being the Champion, and after Bede settled more into his duties in Ballonlea, the playing field seemed to level between the two of them. All in all, it seemed that Gloria had calmed down a bit — at least in some of her more grander ambitions. Not only that, but her previously strained relationship with Hop wasn’t stressing her out so much and she wasn’t clamoring to come to him for advice. That was something he obliged without complaint, even as it pained him.

But now there were other things on his mind. Gloria had accomplished what she had wanted to, and she made it clear that she wanted to move on. But move on where… to do what?

The question defied him. He didn’t really mean to pry. But with Gloria’s ceaseless wanderlust, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. For someone like him, trying to decipher the thoughts of someone like her was nigh impossible. 

“That’s kind of a broad question,” Gloria said, her two hands clasped tightly behind her back. She blew a loose strand of her chestnut hair out of her face.

“No, it’s a very simple one, I think,” Bede responded curtly.

“I guess I’m not really sure what’s next, you know?” Gloria said. “I really did enjoy all the traveling! I got to meet so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise, and get to hang out with all sorts of great Pokemon. And the coaching… And the traveling… Oh, wait, did I say that already?”

“Yes. Is there more you’re wanting to see?” Bede asked.

Bede didn’t want to seem too invested in her future planning. And for that matter, he didn’t see her as asking him for his input in the first place. She was so forward with everything else, it would have easily come up by now, like all her questions about Hop. What business did he have giving her advice?

“Oh, tons,” Gloria said. “I mean, I’ve been up and down Galar, even the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra. And I can’t say I won’t grieve it when I go. And I’ve lived here my entire life, y’know?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. The more she talked it out, the more ideas seemed to spring to her head. “But… Truth be told, I mean if I _really_ think about it, maybe I’ve even outgrown Galar a little bit, eh?”

Bede’s chest tightened at the thought of Gloria moving oceans away, as though she were manipulating an invisible string inside him, suddenly pulling taut to the point of snapping.

“Yes… I suppose you have,” Bede said flatly. He feared if he tried to say more, something unspeakable might inevitably spill out, without his permission. What business did he have in offering his opinion to the former Champion? 

Bede reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a Pokeball as a means of distracting himself. He wasn’t sure he wanted to stay on the topic much longer.

“Oh, my gosh, are you gonna bring out your Eevee today? I’d love to see her,” Gloria said, peering at the ball excitedly.

“Well, uh, actually—” Bede looked a little flushed.

Gloria gasped theatrically when the silhouette that formed out of the ball wasn’t what she recognized as Eevee but was instead a Sylveon. 

After yawning and stretching her legs, Sylveon whistled gleefully and hopped in a circle around her trainer, excited for the chance to go for a walk again. Gloria bent down to pet her, and the Pokemon was more than happy to oblige her and lean into them.

“Oh, I love that _both_ our Eevees evolved into Sylveons!” Gloria chirped. “She’s so precious.” 

“Well, what did you expect? Sylveon is a fairy-type, after all.” Bede stored the empty Pokeball back into his pocket and kept his hand there to keep it from visibly fiddling.

Gloria didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I know that, it’s just… I mean, you have to really be close to them for that to happen, and — okay — I was way too indecisive with all the possibilities. I had so many ideas. I was kinda thinking I would love an Espeon. But we hung out so much though, and we got so close, that I guess it was inevitable.”

Bede shrugged. “I guess you’ll just have to catch more Eevees.”

“See, I had that thought too, but I…” She laughed in spite of herself. “I really do still think I’d mess it up.”

“Hmm. I doubt it. It seems as though anything you think you’ve messed up has actually worked out incredibly well in your favor. I guess leave it to the former Champion who blundered into it to only ever envision herself blundering into other things.”

Gloria shrugged. Her mind was wandering, and she usually didn’t internalize the backhanded things Bede would say to her.

Glimwood Tangle was twisting and closing in around them as it was wont to do. Gloria prided herself on being one of the few people who didn’t actually live in Ballonlea who wasn’t intimidated by its looming trees. In fact, she was used to taking strolls through it alone (or with a delighted Pokemon companion at her side) to clear her thoughts.

Bede also felt comforted by its mysteries and charms. He, too, normally felt okay by himself or with Pokemon companions here. It was different this time, even more-so than their last intense heart to heart. Despite the fact he had the loud company of his former rival who always seemed to be lingering a few steps in front of him, the whole thing felt strangely lonely, if only because he were forced to confront his own thoughts in between her bouts of rambling.  
  
After a thoughtful silence, Gloria continued, “But I’ll find something to do. I mean, like you said — I just kinda wandered into the Championship. I knew Vic would love to snag it from me, but I also know there’s many others waiting in the wings.” She was more thinking out loud than anything else. “So for that matter, I don’t really know that I actually want to get the title back.”

Then she smiled to herself and whirled around on her heels to face him. “Or… Maybe _you_ want it? And you’re going to jump at your chance?”

He shook his head wordlessly and averted his gaze. Her tone was playful, but Bede never liked being teased. He always seemed to fall out of turn with his peers, and they always seemed to be apart of some secret club he didn’t have access to. And even though Gloria went well out of her way to rope him into all of her thoughts, he was still always on the defensive. As a result, her question made only him huff at her and fix his sight on something in the distance. Surely she didn’t _actually_ think he had a chance. Maybe at one point she did, but now… 

Gloria shrugged again and turned back to continue her walk, humming as she went. Bede had long since given up trying to keep pace with her; after all, she talked so loudly that it didn’t matter how far ahead she trudged ahead of him.

The thought of Gloria finally relinquishing the Championship title to her twin brother Victor was one that had made Bede’s heart skip a little. He knew it would certainly free up a lot of time for her. But if she was already talking about leaving Galar, well… She wouldn’t have much keeping her here anymore now that her and Hop had called it quits, now would she?

“I’d love to see you and Victor battle it out again,” Gloria said.

“Right, right,” he said flatly, brushing her off. He was trying to sound uninterested, but he wasn’t sure that she would notice either way. “But where would _you_ want to go, if you left?”

Despite his dismissive tone, Gloria took his question seriously and pondered it for a moment. “Well… You know, there’s just so much out there. Kabu has a lot of stories about the Hoenn region, y’know. I mean, not all of them are _good_ stories, but you know. And, well, I’ve also never seen a Kantonian Ponyta up close. That would be so cool!”

“Hmm. You and your fire types,” Bede responded drily. He really wanted to say _But why would you need to?_ , but he held his tongue. Too many other memories of her Cinderace wiping the floor with his Ponyta sprung to mind, and thoughts of bitter losses always irritated him.

“I mean, c’mon! They are pretty cool. I don’t think they’ll measure up to our babies, but… Yeah.” She glanced back down to smile at Sylveon, who was doing a much better job keeping pace with her than Bede.

She gave this idea enough of its own time until another thought hit her. “Wait a minute — enough about me! What will _you_ do?” She again stopped suddenly in her tracks and spun around, almost causing Bede to crash into her. “Are you planning on staying here? As a gym leader? In Ballonlea? Or do you have different plans?”

He sputtered wordlessly for a moment before he even fully registered her barrage of questions, and then he found he was speechless. He had just barely gotten used to the idea of being the gym leader in Ballonlea, and now he was being forced to think about other options as part of a ridiculous hypothetical to satiate her endless curiosity. Didn’t she know that all of his goals had _already_ derailed?

“Well… Yes, I am staying,” he said. “At least, for the foreseeable future.” _What did it matter? What difference did it make?_

The answer was noncommittal. It seemed obvious to Bede, but Gloria was puzzled a bit by how matter-of-fact he sounded. She tilted her head and stared at him curiously; the extra time he needed to formulate an answer not something that was new to her. She knew she a habit of running him ragged with all of her stories, but she also knew that he listened genuinely, and that was something she found particularly addictive. Being the Champion meant that she had to do a lot of listening of her own. And then on the other hand, it also meant that a lot of what she could say to people had to be a little more orchestrated — and thus often felt hollow to her own ears.

“Well… As long as you’re happy doing it, that’s all that matters, right?” Gloria smiled wanly at him. She was being sincere, but she hated how performative it sounded. Even away from cameras, she couldn’t always shut off that part of her. “You’ve come a long way from when we met, you know, from the Gym Challenge. So you deserve the win.”

Bede gave her a wry smile, suddenly prickling up at the memory. The bad memories of their battles were one thing, but adding the Gym Challenge fiasco on top of it was not something he was ready to deal with.

“On second thought, just for that,” he said, “I’d _love_ to take the Championship. Beating you wouldn’t be good enough, after all; I’d love to beat the person who finally bested _you._ ”

Gloria held a hand up to her mouth in feigned offense before faking a punch at one of his shoulders. “Well, I never! It was a compliment, Bede! I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You forget that you aren’t the only one who loves to remind me of where I’ve been. Can’t we move on? I’d like to focus more on where I’m going now.”

“That’s fair,” Gloria said. “But listen, Bede. I have to be honest. There is something I did want to tell you.”

Bede perked up a little, but he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. “Oh? What’s that, Champion?”

Gloria rocked on her heels, and it was from anxiousness, but Bede interpreted it as another one of her bursts of boundless energy. “Just… If I do end up skipping town, promise you’ll try and take care of Hop while I’m gone, alright?”

For a moment, Bede could do nothing more than raise an eyebrow. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t that. 

“Please,” he said. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. “He doesn’t need me.”

“I’m _serious_ , Bede!” Gloria gestured toward him, exasperated.

Still, Bede elected to ignore her request. “You’re making this sound like such a… certain thing now. You sound so _sure_ now.”

“I’m just being realistic,” Gloria said. “I mean, c’mon. I kinda stumbled into the Championship anyway. What else am I gonna get into? You did kinda say that yourself.”

Bede hesitated. He knew it was now or never, damn the pounding in his chest. “Because maybe have other options. Maybe you don’t… _have_ to go.”

Gloria laughed, a little too loudly. It almost sounded forced. “Well, now I have to.”

“Huh…?”

“Well,” she said, “you’re not giving up your role as the new fairy gym leader, and who’s to say that that’s not the _exact_ thing _I_ wanted to do? I’m pink enough, you know!”

Gloria shot Bede a wicked smile, happy to have befuddled him and all too eager to challenge him at every turn. Unfortunately for her, however, Bede was equally poised to rebuff her provocations; after all, he was her old rival.

“Yes, well, I suppose you’re out of luck,” he said, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair. “I guess it can’t be helped.”

His air of nonchalance — feigned or not — was almost enough to make her challenge him to a Pokemon battle right then and there. Instinctively, Bede’s Sylveon ceased her pacing and stood poised at attention. 

Though her arms wanted to reach for a Pokeball, she folded them instead. “So which is it? Do you _want_ me to go or not, Bede?”

“Why are you asking _me_?!”

Gloria gestured theatrically at the empty forest around them. “Who else is there to ask? I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

Before he could stop himself, the words came spilling out: “All I’m saying is you shouldn’t just throw yourself into the next big thing because you’re bored! You have lots of people that you’d be leaving behind again!”

“What are you talking about?” Gloria had started shuffling forward again, and Bede had no choice but to follow. “You’ve been hyping me up this entire time, I almost thought you were ready to push me into the next available flying taxi.”

“Well, no— I mean, I wouldn’t say _hyping—_ ” He furrowed his brows at her and massaged his temples. It was clear the gears were turning, but once again, they weren’t moving quite fast enough to keep up with her.

“I mean, I’m sure you’re sick of me anyway,” Gloria said. She was clearly teasing him, but there was a betraying note of sadness in her voice, as though she were only joking in order to thinly veil how she really felt. “All of my challenges and surprise visits. I’m sure you’ve been anxiously waiting for the day. I’m not gonna pretend that I don’t realize how much I’ve come to annoy you, even after all this time.”

The posturing. Always with the posturing. Bede huffed at her. “That’s not… true.”

It was already too late. Gloria was already swept up into her emotions. She didn’t _mean_ to start getting angry, but it was already happening. And without seeing the expression on Bede’s face, she was getting ever bolder. 

Sylveon, unsure if she should continue to follow, pressed herself into Bede’s legs and flattened herself against the ground. And while Gloria knew that conflict was not the strong suit of the type of Pokemon the two of them liked to hang around, she couldn’t stop herself.

Gloria jabbed an accusatory thumb back at him over her shoulder without looking back. “You’ve always acted really inconvenienced by me, y’know.”

“Gloria—”

“Bede, if you didn’t want me around, you could have told me. I just thought since you’d always been alone and everyone was so quick to judge you that you’d maybe like some damn company every once in a while!”

He halted still in his tracks. It took a moment for Gloria to perceive that he had stopped short behind her, but when she did, she stepped back toward him.

“Wait. What’s wrong?”

He kept his gaze low, but she could see that his hands were trembling. Immediately, she could feel the blood draining from her face as she realized the repercussions of what she said.

“Look,” Gloria said. “I’m really sorry. I just got caught up in it. I didn’t mean to…”

Sylveon became overwhelmed with the tension in the air, perhaps dizzied by the fact that she couldn’t help in any way, and looked for an out. Before Bede could coax her back into her ball, she stumbled noisily into a thicket. Not long after, she mewled pitifully for him. With a sigh, Bede got to his knees to reach into the darkness. He extracted her from overgrowth, only now she was covered in burrs and thistles. 

“Oh, the poor thing,” Gloria said. “What happened? Did she see something?”

“Ah… She’s okay,” he said, placing the Pokemon on his lap. “She’s just being dramatic. All she needs is a thorough brushing.”

Bede was thankful that he had the foresight not to bring his Hatterene with him. She certainly would have thrown someone for all of the emotional distress he was in — or at the very least, given everyone around him a splitting headache. 

With a knowing nod, Gloria dropped down to her knees and slung her backpack onto the ground. She zipped it open and began blindly rummaging around.

“Oh, where is it…? I know it’s in here somewhere… Oh!” Gloria pulled out a hairbrush. She smiled and handed it to him. “There ya go. That’ll help.”

Bede blinked. “Oh… Thank you. I-I mean, I had one, but—”

Sylveon perked up at seeing a brush in his hand and rolled over for him.

“Aw, she really does love it,” Gloria said, smiling from ear to ear. “I mean, who wouldn’t!”

After a beat, Bede cleared his throat, but it didn’t seem to pull Gloria’s attention away from his Sylveon’s delicate fur. He sighed.

“Listen, Gloria,” he said.

“Hmm?” Gloria didn’t lift her head to look at him, as she was fully enraptured by the task at hand.

He sighed, struggling to find the right words. He was always irritated when her attention was painfully divided. But, of course, he knew was making excuses for himself. Even if she had her eyes trained on him, he still would have rapidly lost his nerve just as easily.

Bede exhaled slowly. He had to start somewhere. “I… just wanted to apologize.”

It took her a moment to fully process what he said. When she did, she waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. After an uncomfortable silence, Gloria paused her gentle brushing and looked up at him. His Sylveon rolled onto its belly and tilted her head at him so that now both of them were looking at him expectantly.

“Okay,” she began. “Apologize? For what, Bede? Are you talking about earlier? Because like I said, I completely flew off the handle, and _I’m_ the one who should be sorry. And I made Sylveon upset.”

“No, no. It’s not that. I’m not talking about earlier. What I mean is… Well, Gloria, you said it yourself. I’ve come a long way from where I’ve been.”

“You have,” she said. She smiled in agreement. “You’ve really found your purpose now, and I’m glad that you’re able to live for yourself. But I thought you didn’t want to talk—”

“Right, you’re right about that, but… I think I mean in a different way, too.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to apologize for… how I’ve conducted myself around you lately.”

“Oh, please,” Gloria said. “That’s nothing. You think I haven’t learned to have a thick skin? It’s not just _you_ , y’know. I have a twin brother. So I know you can’t possibly mean all the… well, mean things you say.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Bede sighed. “I just know it’s all been weighing hard on you… I don’t even just mean me. I mean… everyone. You’ve been dealing with a lot of outside pressure, and it certainly couldn’t have helped that I was… so… you know… _Difficult_.”

“I don’t think you have it in you to _not_ be difficult.”

He pretended to mull it over before he made a face at her. “Quite a way to phrase that.”

“Look, I’m giving you an out, just _take_ it, idiot!”

He waved her off. “Fair enough.”

It was easy for anyone to lose track of time in Glimwood Tangle, but even more-so for old rivals who were both using each other to escape various other duties. Not long after Sylveon was satisfied with her brushing, she leapt to the ground to lead the two further into their meandering as they all settled into a comfortable silence. 

There was never any particular set destination either ever had in mind for their rambles; however, they always inevitably ended up where they began. Even when distressed, Gloria could usually keep her mind clear enough to navigate the forest’s many twists and turns.

This time — for whatever reason — was markedly different. The air around them began to feel heavier, and there was the tiniest stirring of anxiety working its way up through Gloria’s body.

And it was at this moment that she realized that she was no longer seeing Bede’s Sylveon weaving between the two of them. Without meaning to, she broke their silence with a wordless utterance of confusion and fear.

Bede scoffed at her. “What?”

“Wait a minute.”

“ _What?_ ”

Gloria turned to face him. “Bede, where did Sylveon go?”

Unfazed, he massaged his temples for perhaps the fifth time that afternoon. “What are you going on about now? You’re mad. She was just right here!”

He glanced down at his feet, but she was right; his partner Pokemon was nowhere to be found. He cleared his throat and began to call for her into the unrelenting darkness. From far off, they could hear other idyllic sounds of the forest like the soft chittering of other wild Pokemon who seemed to be blissfully unaware of what was transpiring. On the other hand, perhaps they knew all too well.

“Oh, maybe she just found another smell she liked,” Gloria said. She crouched down and peered into the bushes in her own attempt to summon her. She shook off her worries, reassuring herself that her nerves were merely the culmination of her mental unrest.

“No, she probably got fed up with us because _we_ never calmed down,” Bede said. He couldn’t help the resentment in his tone. “ _You_ have a Sylveon, don’t you realize that they try to send out soothing auras for that very reason? You probably exhausted her!”

“Well, it worked! It’s not like we’re fighting or anything,” Gloria said, only half-listening as she used a branch to poke through some bushes. 

Bede held his face in his hands. He opted not to say anything more, if only because he knew it would be pointless. He knew she could be just as insufferable as he was for different reasons.

Gloria rose to her feet and brushed herself off. “Ugh, no sign of her anywhere.” She looked to Bede and placed her dusty hands on her hips. “Has she ever wandered off like this before?”

Bede finally lowered his hands from his face and scanned his surroundings. He drew a sharp intake of breath.

“What? What is it?” 

Bede squinted hard at the fork in the path in front of them. “Gloria…”

There was a note of panic in his voice, and so Gloria turned quickly around to see what he was looking at.

“Didn’t we just pass this place?” Bede asked.

“What? That’s ridic—” Gloria examined the paths in front of them, and a dizzying feeling of déjà vu came over her. In disbelief, she muttered, “No… I don’t think so…”

Bede clenched his fists at his sides, glaring daggers at her. “This is all _your_ fault!”

Gloria tilted her head at him, more confused than offended at how quickly his mood had shifted. “How do you figure? It’s not like we were paying a whole lot of attention to where we were going.”

“Who says? _I_ was! I’ve _never_ gotten lost in here.”

“Oh, you’re impossible,” she teased, although she couldn’t help but be a little exasperated in spite of herself. “I’ll have you know I’ve never gotten lost in here either. I mean why are you so quick to assume we’re even lost, anyway? So we just got a little turned around. We just have to retrace our steps.”

“There’s no steps to retrace, Gloria! We’ve definitely been here before,” he hissed. “Do you even know how long it’s been? You’re being foolish.”

“Well, you’re being an ass,” Gloria said curtly. 

“Don’t you know _anything_ about the fae? They’re clearly messing with us! How have you ever proudly held the Championship title with how utterly clueless you are?!”

At that comment, Gloria scoffed, an indignant fury boiling up inside her. “Well, if _you_ knew anything about the fae, you’d know that the more freaked out you get, the more we’re screwed! So can you get off my back? I’m doing the best I can!”

The two seethed together in silence for a moment. In fact, it seemed as if the entire forest around them had fallen deathly quiet. For the first time that afternoon, Gloria felt out of place and unsettled. Normally, she could blunder or power through anything. But this situation… this didn’t feel very good.

“Um, we should split up, maybe,” Gloria said, “so that way, if one of us—”

“ _No_ ,” he said firmly. “That’s a horrible idea. That would make it ten times worse.”

“Well, maybe if I just leave you alone, we can both calm down and…” She trailed off. She, too, knew it was a fruitless endeavor, but she couldn’t help but be contrary. Being lost was one thing, but being lost with someone who had the tendency to push your buttons just as much as the other way around was just as maddening. Adding insult to injury was the fact that she was lost in one of her favorite places. That on its own was enough of a blow, when she felt like she had little else.

“Gloria… Please. You could get even more lost, or hurt—”

She whirled around to face him, her eyes stinging with hot, bitter tears. “And what’s it to you?! You’ve spent so long trying to undermine me at every turn, what does it matter?!”

“You’re absolutely infuriating, you know that?” he shot back. “You’re an absolute mess of a girl, and frankly I don’t understand it. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing in life but you’re still eclipsing me at everything you do. At least your twin mostly stays in his lane. You, on the other hand, are always recklessly swerving into mine.”

“Then why the hell do you even want to hang around me, then, huh?” Gloria said. “If all I’ve ever done is ruin your life by existing! Why didn’t you just say ‘ _mar sin leat_ ’ and ‘have a nice life’ when I told you that I was even thinking about leaving Galar! That kind of seemed like the perfect opportunity to me, but what do I know?”

Gloria immediately regretted the words as they left her mouth, especially when Bede fell silent for a moment, and the two were stuck staring each other down. Where did any of it even come from? She couldn’t be sure. But as the seconds ticked past, it occurred to her that Bede’s expression had changed slightly, although she couldn’t fully decipher it.

The apologies and backpedaling burst forth from her like blood from a broken nose, but he said nothing, perhaps hoping she would burn herself out.

“Gloria,” he said, evening his tone. He calmly inhaled, counted to ten, and exhaled. “Gloria… You don’t need to apologize.”

“I want to,” she said.

“Because you’re stubborn. You always have been.”

She furrowed her brows. “I _want_ to,” she repeated. “And really, I should just go. I think we’ll both be better off for it.”

Gloria turned away only for him to grab ahold of one of her wrists, completely taking her out of the moment. She whipped her head back to blink rapidly at him in disbelief, but she couldn’t fully get his name out to figure out what was going on before he had pulled her into him.

She opened her mouth to protest, but her breath caught in her throat as his lips met hers. There wasn’t any nervousness on her part, just surprise, as though her brain were trying to load a file that just straight up didn’t exist. As she returned his kiss, Gloria could feel years of tension that had built up inside of her suddenly dissipating in one moment. But the result was a little dizzying, even as she broke away and stepped back to search his face, to seek answers.

“I’m… Sorry,” Bede murmured. Averting his gaze wasn’t enough. He had to turn his entire head to look anywhere else but at Gloria, who in turn stared wildly into the space in front of her.

“Sorry,” Gloria said, although it was more out of a dazed repetition than it was returning the sentiment.

She shrunk away, and quickly, suddenly overcome (and _overwhelmed_ ) with an array of conflicting emotions. She didn’t even remotely know where to begin.

“Where… did that come from, Bede?” she said, her voice wavering. She was afraid if she said anymore, tears might spring to her eyes against her consent and tell more than she was willing. “What is—” 

“You don’t believe me,” he said. “And I’ve overstepped, clearly.”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just… I can’t help but be skeptical.” She looked him up and down before bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. Her entire body felt like it was being roasted by the tail-end of Leon’s champion Charizard.

“I suppose, then,” he said, haltingly, “I’ll have to convince you.”

She blinked. “I don’t…”

A light, pleasant whistling caught her attention, and she whipped her head over her shoulder and gasped to see Sylveon pleasantly trotting toward them.

“Typical.” Bede scoffed, though he was thankful for another momentary distraction. “Come here, will you?”

Sylveon chirruped and stretched, as though she had just woken from the most peaceful nap. Bede reached blindly into his jacket for her Pokeball, but she walked on by him as though she hadn’t noticed, determined to continue on.

“Wow, you were probably right, I am exhausting,” Gloria said. She meant it as a joke, but it came out a little sadder than she had intended. “Well, we’d better not lose her again.”

“Just wait a moment.” Bede tugged on his collar. “I hope you remember what I said before…”

Gloria tilted her head. She was almost afraid to move away.

He cleared his throat. “You know, about when you confided in me about Hop. I’m sure it seems like so long ago for you, now…”

“Oh…” Gloria could feel her cheeks begin to burn. The memory of how stupid she felt standing in his doorway assaulted her suddenly, and she couldn’t help but look away.

“You seem so surprised. But I always thought you deserved better.”

“That’s… not… That’s not—” She didn’t know how to counter that remark exactly. It was complicated. Sure, her and Hop hadn’t ended things on the best terms, but that didn’t mean she harbored any sort of bitter feelings toward him. And surely, Bede had to have known that, given all the time she spent bending over backwards to defend him. All in all, Hop was free to think what he wanted about things, he was allowed to have feelings of his own, but she wasn’t sure that she liked thinking of herself in any way more deserving of someone as passionate and driven like him.

“What did you say before? That you were giving me an out?” Bede locked eyes with her and smiled. “You should take this one.”

This time, it was Gloria’s turn to take Bede off guard as she yanked him down by his collar for another kiss, which he was more than eager to return, hands lifting to gingerly cup her flushed cheeks. 

Her heart thudding erratically in her chest, Gloria buried her face in his chest, if only so she didn’t have to look back up at him. She murmured, “Sorry, I don’t know how else t…”

Bede chuckled lightly, patting her gently on the head. “Just be quiet, will you?”

More out of her own embarrassment than obliging his request, she went silent for a moment and slowed her breathing as she inched a little closer to him. Whatever it was, it was happening, and she tried her best not to feel as stilted as she did, letting her arms snake around his waist so that she could embrace him fully. He exhaled sharply, letting his chin rest on the top of her head, worryingly self-conscious about the loudness of his own heartbeat. And with that, the two of them stood together as the muffled noises of the forest overcame them.  
  
It was… different. Things had fallen into place a lot easier for Gloria and Hop for a multitude of reasons, she was sure of it. Having grown up together, their eventual leap into a relationship seemed to them like a natural progression. There was never any wavering, any questioning about motives. They always knew they had a mutual respect for each other, and that no matter what happened, they would always care about each other.

And with Bede, it all seemed like an uphill battle from the very start. Just trying to get him to admit that they were _friends_ rather than rivals or even acquaintances took Gloria several years of persistent pestering. But she always saw value in him as a person, and worried about him spending great lengths of time alone. He didn’t put in any effort to connect with his peers, and could she really blame him? So any time they crossed paths in the Wild Area or other places during the Gym Challenge, her, Victor, and Hop always invited him to stay with them. He very rarely (and always begrudgingly) obliged, but it always cheered Gloria to see him in better spirits — even if he tried his damndest not to show it.

At last, Gloria broke the silence to stutter, “I-I mean, you talk about overstepping, but how many times have I intruded on your time just because I wanted to force you to have friends?”

Of course, she wasn’t wrong. Although Victor was just as guilty in his own way, Gloria knew she more than went out of her way to push Bede out of his comfort zone when he was never directly asking for it.

“You… don’t understand,” he said. “I’ve grown to enjoy your company a lot more than you ever could realize. And it’s not because you became the Champion.”

For some reason, the last part stung, pricked at her pride again for some reason she couldn’t fully articulate. She pulled back to look at him seriously.

“Look,” she said. “It’s not like I’m blissfully unaware of the fact that you’ve had to fight for everything you’ve ever had, Bede. I just… don’t want you to have to fight for me.”

Bede tried to obscure part of his flushed face behind a hand, but it was useless. He looked away. “You really mean that?”

Gloria nodded quickly and grabbed tightly ahold of him again, eliciting a strained gasp out of him. All she could do at that point was laugh.

Sylveon’s trilling broke their reverie again, and they both looked dazed toward the sound.

The forest began to unravel and open up in front of them again, its confusing twists and turns made legible again. It had thoroughly chewed them up and spit them out, but at long last, they had made it through.

Sylveon chirruped and danced around them a moment before darting down the path in front of them, more than excited to lead them back onto the main path. Bede and Gloria laughed, sharing an uneven mixture of delight and relief before breaking apart to follow her toward Ballonlea.

“I think she’s happy, now,” Bede said pleasantly, leaning down to pet her head.

“Oh, I’m sure she is,” Gloria said. She grasped onto his hand and held on tightly. “I am, too.”


End file.
